Martin & Co
by punkhale
Summary: He [found] a small new and used bookstore, Martin & Co., tucked away on an unassuming side street with a chalkboard sign out front that informed him that people who didn't read were not people he should sleep with. He went in.


**notes:** done for the teen wolf rare pair exchange on tumblr, round 2.

* * *

><p>Jordan had moved to Beacon Hills on a whim. He'd seen that the local police department was hiring and he put in his application. There was nothing keeping him in his hometown and the change of scenery had sounded nice. He got the job immediately and within a few weeks he was settling into his new apartment, a small one bedroom only a few streets away from the center of town.<p>

Unpacking took less time than he anticipated, and with an extra day to kill before starting his new job he found himself wandering the town and trying to familiarize himself with it. He found an excellent coffee shop with the best muffins he'd ever had as well as several small shops filled with the kinds of knick knacks his mother would love. He also found a small new and used bookstore, Martin & Co., tucked away on an unassuming side street with a chalkboard sign out front that informed him that people who didn't read were not people he should sleep with.

He went in.

It was bigger than he had thought, the neatly organized shelves stretching back quite a ways. It was brightly lit and a few mirrors on the walls, dispersed between various pieces of art, kept the place from feeling too narrow, and the floor was well-cared for wood with a large welcome mat by the door. Not at all what he had expected from a small town bookstore.

"Can I help you find anything?" came a voice from his right. Sitting behind the counter was a striking redhead, long hair draped over her shoulders and cheekbones that Jordan had always pictured on Greek gods or European princesses.

She quirked a perfectly sculpted brow at him and he realized he'd been staring, thank god not with his mouth open. He cleared his throat.

"I'm new in town, just scoping out the area."

"Do you read a lot?"

"I try to squeeze it in when I can."

She nodded. "Well, just let me know if you need anything." And then she turned her attention back to the computer in front of her, clicking away.

Jordan wiped his feet on the mat, not wanting to ruin the immaculate floors, and wandered the shelves. Everything was systematically organized by genre and then alphabetically by the author's last name. There was a shelf for new releases and a rack of magazines and even a few comics in the back as well as a small section of journals and bookmarks. It was like a mini Barnes & Noble. All it was missing was a cafe and some cushy chairs.

He rounded a corner looking for the science fiction section and found that he'd thought too soon. There were no chairs, but there was a small counter set up with the makings for coffee and tea, a small "free" sign hanging on the wall above it.

Free coffee -this place was officially better than Barnes & Noble.

He fixed himself a cup of coffee, happy to see a small container of soy milk as well as creamer, and continued his quest for the sci fi books, which he found just pass the drink counter. It was a good selection and he found himself picking up a few books in a new series that his brother had recommended him. He knew how new deputy positions worked, and he anticipated plenty of long boring nights working the desk and filling out paperwork. The books were going to be necessary entertainment to keep himself awake.

When he got back to the front of the store the desk was empty but the door behind it, with a plaque that said "employees only" in gold lettering, was ajar. He eyed the small silver bell on the counter but decided not to ring it just yet, instead poring over a display of "owners favourites" by the front window. He picked up a copy of _The Little Mermaid_ by Hans Christian-Anderson, flipping idly through it. His niece would love it -it was her favourite movie and she'd been Ariel for Halloween three years in a row.

When he turned back to the desk the redhead was sitting behind it again -he hadn't even heard her. He brought the books, along with _The Little Mermaid_ over, putting them down in front of her. She eyed the fairytale curiously.

"I didn't take you for a Hans Christian-Anderson fan."

"It's for my niece," he said. "Ariel is her favourite."

"Your niece has excellent taste."

"So she tells me."

She rung up the books, tucking the receipt into one of the paperbacks and slips it all into a paper bag. He realized that this is the part of the exchange where he leaves and he doesn't even know her name, and that somehow seems wrong. He _wanted _to know her name.

"I'm Jordan by the way," he said. "Jordan Parrish. I'm a new deputy at the police department."

"Oh?" she said, raking her eyes over him in a way that wasn't completely uncomfortable. "I'm Lydia Martin."

"The Martin in Martin & Co?" he asked.

"The one and only," she said, looking pleased and handing over the bag.

"Impressive. Owning a business that is. You look pretty young."

This seemed to please her even more. "I like to think I'm a very impressive person."

Jordan didn't know how to respond to that other than blurting out that he thought was the most impressive woman he'd ever met in his life, but that seemed a bit forward, especially since he knew next to nothing about her.

"I'll see you around," he said instead, giving her what his mother called his "prince charming smile."

"Oh you will?" she asked, and she was _definitely_ flirting now.

"I read a lot," he replied, nodding his head and turning to leave. He felt her eyes on him all the way out the door.

* * *

><p>He waited two weeks before he want back to Lydia's shop. The books he'd bought had only lasted him the first week, but he'd had some paperbacks in boxes that he'd yet to get through and he didn't want to seem too eager. In the meantime he got settled into his new job (it <em>was<em> a lot of desk work) and became familiar with the rest of the town.

Beacon Hills was small, but in a nice kind of way. He wouldn't exactly call it one of those sleepy, quiet types of towns, but the community seemed close-knit and he felt comfortable walking around. Most of the calls the police department got were noise complaints about high school parties and various mundane things. On his third day of work there'd been a cougar in the school parking lot, but he hadn't been able to go see it. Someone had to man the phones and sort parking tickets.

But after two weeks he was out of reading material and the idea of the graveyard shift without a book sounded like torture. So he put on his favourite jeans and made his way back to Martin & Co.

Lydia was up front, leaning back in the chair and chatting with a pretty brunette woman who was perched on the counter. They were engrossed in their conversation but the brunette flashed him a friendly smile when he entered. Lydia caught his eye for second and gave a small nod. She didn't say anything to him, didn't even smile, but she didn't have to. He felt the intensity of that look through to his bones.

Impressive wasn't the word for it.

He disappeared into the shelves, first perusing the general fiction and debating on finally reading _The Time Machine. _He turned it over in his hands a few time, skimming the summary even though he knew what it was about, and tried not to think about the hot-as-the-sun redhead at the front of the store.

It wasn't really working.

He held onto the book before wandering over towards where the coffee was and making himself a cup. He could hear Lydia and the other girl still talking near the front and he wondered how obvious it would be if he waited until the girl left so that he had a better chance of talking to the redheaded owner again. Was that too creepy? He had no idea, wasn't sure how that kind of thing worked.

He heard a loud peal of laughter and then Lydia's voice.

"It's not funny!"

"It's pretty funny," the other girl said but Jordan stopped listening. Eavesdropping was _definitely_ creepy.

He lingered around the shelves for another ten minutes, scanning over everything, half waiting to see if he could talk to Lydia alone (if he asked her out and she said no he certainly didn't want a witness to it) and half because he really wasn't sure what he wanted to read next. It eventually became clear though that he wasn't going to get a moment alone with Lydia that day and he would eventually have to go and actually pay for the books he was stockpiling in his arms.

When he made his way back to the front of the store he found Lydia sitting behind the counter, arms folded over her chest and looking almost petulant while the brunette girl next to her looked positively gleeful. She straightened up when she saw him and the other girl turned to look at him, grinning widely.

"Uh, hello," he said, not sure what to do under the weight of both women staring at him.

"Good afternoon Jordan," Lydia said smoothly. "I don't think you've met my friend Allison yet. Allison, this is the deputy in town, Jordan Parrish."

She delivered the greeting smoothly and Jordan took the other girl, Allison's, outstretched hand to shake. The look on her face was nothing short of smug.

"It's nice to meet you," he said, sliding his books onto the counter next to her.

"You too," she said. Her and Lydia exchanged some kind of look, the kind of look that an outsider like himself couldn't possibly hope to decipher, and then Lydia was grabbing for his books.

"Will that be all?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I think I've got enough for the next few weeks."

She rang him up with Allison all the while smirking at her, legs swinging. Lydia seemed to be trying her best to ignore the other girl and Jordan found himself painfully curious as to what was going on. Neither of them volunteered the information though and he left the store with five new books, a lot of confusion, and the feeling of eyes on him as he went through the door.

* * *

><p>The next time he saw Lydia was not at the bookstore. She came marching into the station, pink pumps clicking on the tiled floor and a calm yet angry glint in her eye. She reminded him of a tropical storm and it took all his willpower not to stare at the place her skirt clung to the perfect curve of her ass, the way it hiked up just a little bit as she walked.<p>

The fact that he was behind the desk, and that they had built up a friendly acquaintance at least, seemed to have no effect on her demeanor as she slapped down a small piece of paper in front of him.

It was a parking ticket.

"I'd like to contest this," she said, her voice even and fierce.

He picked up the ticket and looked it over, very aware of her eyes on him. "Your car was in a no parking zone."

"For a minute!" she huffed. "I had to drop something off at Allison's work. I was parked for one minute!"

"Okay," he said slowly, unsure how to navigate these waters with her. It did suck to get a ticket for that, but it wasn't like he made the rules.

"You didn't write this did you?" she asked suddenly and her gaze was so intense he had to fight not to fidget under it.

"No," he said, "it wasn't me. I still mostly just work the desk."

"That sounds boring."

Was he imagining it or did she sound less angry now? Perhaps he was just being overly hopeful. He had no idea how Lydia Martin felt about him, only that she occupied a good portion of his own thoughts, her face swimming in his mind before he fell asleep and the image of her legs wrapped around him when he got off in the shower.

"It is boring," he said. "Look, if you want to fight it you can, but I doubt the judge will let you off."

"It's a stupid ticket though!" she argued.

"I know it is," he agreed, "but unfortunately the town needs the money for town hall repairs. They're not giving anyone a break."

She huffed again but deflated a bit, leaning against the desk and looking at the ticket. "I suppose I'll just pay it then. What?" she asked, seeing the look of surprise on his face. "Why do you look so surprised?"

He gave a small shrug and a smile. "I just didn't expect Lydia Martin to give in so easily."

The smile she gave him in return seemed genuine, not just her usual knowing smirk, and it made something flip inside his chest.

"The town hall really does need a new roof."

He nodded. "Yeah, it does. Sorry about the ticket though."

This time she shrugged. "It's not your fault. Now if _you_ had given me the ticket then I might be more upset."

He raised his brow at that, not sure if they had crossed into flirting territory or not. It was hard to tell with Lydia sometimes. She didn't exactly smile again but there was a lightness in her eyes that gave the impression that she was smiling.

"I'll see you around," she said, turning on her heels and making her way towards the door.

"Have a nice day!" he called after her.

She waved at him over her shoulder and then disappeared through the door.

* * *

><p>He saw her outside the bookstore more after that, although not again in the station. Apparently she'd been making sure not to illegally park anywhere which the town hall budget was probably upset about.<p>

They ran into each other at the coffee shop, at the grocery store, and even once while Lydia was out walking her dog, aptly named Prada.

It was maddening, seeing her everywhere, making polite conversation flirting outrageously. _No_, it was maddening that every time they spoke the tension between them seemed to grow tenfold and right before he could invite her out for a drink or coffee, or _something_, she was off again with errands to run and people to see.

Jordan was starting to get the feeling that he was being strung along, he just couldn't figure out if it was intentional or not. When he finished the novel he was reading he went back to the bookstore, half to get something new to read and half to finally ask Lydia on a date, for better or for worse.

Either he'd luck out and she would say yes, or he'd have to start buying his books online.

The store was empty when he got there but he could hear shuffling from the back room. He was tempted to just wait by the counter but he did need a new book to read and Lydia could be back there for who knew how long. And if he hastily just grabbed a book and made his way back to the front of the store when he heard her come out, well, it's not like anyone else was around to witness it.

She smiled when she saw him and it the weight of made his heart skip a beat. It wasn't her usual smirk, it was something brighter than that. It lit up her face and made her already stunning features glow. He'd never seen anyone more beautiful than Lydia Martin at that moment.

"Hello," she greeted, leaning against the counter as he set his book down.

"Hi," he said, smiling back at her. This was some kind of pivotal moment in whatever their relationship was, he could feel it.

"So I have something to tell you," she said, eyes resting steadily on his.

"Oh?"

She nodded. "I like you. A lot. And I wanted to ask you out the first time you came into the store, but I couldn't."

Jordan's brain scrambled to process this information feeling very much like a rug had just been pulled out from under his feet.

"Wait, why couldn't you?"

"I promised Allison I wouldn't go on any dates or sleep with anyone for a month after I broke up with my ex. Apparently I have a rebound problem."

"I… oh. _Oh._"

She gave a small laugh. "Yes, oh. You have no idea how hard it's been with you coming in here all the time and running into you everywhere when all I wanted to do was jump your bones."

Jordan felt his mouth go dry. He swallowed hard. "Yeah?"

Her gaze darkened a bit as she raked her gaze over him, slowly like she was taking in every little detail. "Yeah."

He leaned forward so that their faces were only about a foot apart. "We could get coffee," he said, voice low. "When do you close up?"

She bit her lip. "Now, I'm closing up now. Let's go."

* * *

><p>They made it through a cup of coffee each at the coffee shop down the road, talking about their families a bit and how Jordan liked Beacon Hills, every word coming out more heated than the next. The truth was they had already gotten to know each other pretty well and the coffee felt a lot like a pleasantry, a necessary ritual for whatever was to come.<p>

And what was to come was frantic kissing as they stumbled back into the bookstore, Lydia locking the door behind them and grabbing at his clothes.

Kissing her wasn't like kissing anyone else. She was all fire and a heady sweetness as she licked into his mouth, biting on his lower lip. He knew he was covered in her lipstick but he couldn't bring himself to care. Lydia Martin could cover his whole face in lipstick, anything, just as long as she never stopped kissing him.

She made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat as she struggled to unbutton his shirt and he regretted not just wearing one of his usual tees.

"We probably shouldn't be doing this here, _ah_," he gasped. She'd managed to undo the button and slip her hands over his abs and the skin on skin contact made him shiver with anticipation.

"Probably not," she said, her voice breathy. She was pushing him behind the counter and into the backroom, flipping a light switch and bathing the space in a soft light.

Jordan had never seen the backroom before but it was much like you would expect from a bookstore. There was a desk in one corner, covered in papers and pens, a laptop on one corner, the rest of it mostly just boxes and shelves, all filled with books as far as he could tell.

Not that he was paying much attention because Lydia had worked his shirt off and was touching every inch of his torso, running her nails lightly over his ribs. He hissed and grabbed for her, pulling her so they were right up against each other, both breathing heavy.

He kissed her again and there was nothing remotely gentle about it. Lydia reached up to tug on his hair, pull him closer. He lifted her up, hands gripping her ass underneath the flowy green skirt she was wearing. A skirt that had showed off quite a bit of leg and had swung tantalizing around her thighs when she walked.

It was an amazing skirt. He wanted her to take it off immediately.

"You're wearing a lot of clothes," he said, setting her on a secure looking stack of boxes.

"Maybe you should take them off," she replied, licking her lips.

He grabbed the hem of her shirt and yanked it out of her skirt, lifting it over her head and flinging it somewhere behind him. She was wearing a pink lace bra that cupped her breasts and lifted them, the scalloped trim just barely covering her nipples.

"You're incredible," he said, taking a moment to just _look_, to sear this image into his brain.

She grabbed his hands and placed them directly over her bra. "Touch me."

Jordan didn't have to be told twice, immediately giving them a light squeeze before skimming his thumbs over the trim, dipping in just a little to brush against her nipples. She let out a small gasp and arched her back, presenting herself even more, and he bit back a groan.

He reached around her to undo the clasp of the bra, tossing it in the same general direction of her shirt. And then she was naked from the waist up, chest heaving slightly as she watched him. He captured her lips with his again before kissing a path down her neck and over the mounds of her breasts, hands smoothing over her ribcage and holding her in place.

And then he brought one taut nipple into his mouth and lightly sucked.

Lydia squirmed in his grasp and let out a string of breathy swears and moans. Jordan lifted one hand from her side and palmed at her other breast, teasing her nipple with the pad of his thumb, which only made her wriggle around more.

He didn't get to tease her for long though before she was wrapping her legs, pressing her heels into the small of his back. He could feel his erection, hard with want, pressed against the heat between her legs.

"We need to lose the rest of these clothes _now_," she said, panting a little. He nodded and between the two of them they were completely naked in no time at all. There was a brief moment where they just stared at each other, eyes roving, taking in every detail, and then Jordan dropped to his knees in front of her, spreading her thighs apart with his shoulders. Her hands immediately came to tangle in his hair and the idea of her holding on to him, guiding him, made him even harder.

Lydia Martin was not completely shaved. Instead she had a small, well-trimmed, patch of red curls just above her slit, like a bow on a present. He let one finger trace upwards over her folds, applying just the slightest pressure when he got to her clit. She reacted immediately, hips thrusting forward a little as he traced the path back down, this time letting his finger dip into her. She was hot and wet around him, muscles clenching with want. Part of him wanted to grab her and slide her onto his cock, fuck up into her until neither of them could move.

But he wanted to do this right, wanted to make it as memorable for her as possible.

He slipped his finger out, smiling a bit at the small sound of disappointment Lydia made at the lost contact. He leaned forward and lightly blew against her while her fingers raked the back of his head like she was trying to keep from shoving his face against her. He appreciated the consideration and blew again just to make her squirm.

And then he licked.

Lydia keened, hands fisting in his hair as her hips canted forward. He grabbed hold of her to keep her still, pressing his tongue into her folds and dragging it upwards to swirl around her clit while she gasped above him, his name on her lips.

And god she tasted so fucking _good._

He ate her like that for awhile, alternating between teasing licks and gently sucking at her clit, sometimes moving down to thrust his tongue inside her, kept at it until she was crying out, her legs twitching as she shuddered around him.

She pulled him up for a kiss, not seeming to care at all about tasting her own come on his lips. He groaned into the kiss while she grabbed his cock and gave it a few experimental tugs. But he was achingly hard and if she kept doing that there was no way he was going to last.

"Lydia," he gasped, "Please."

She smirked but hopped off the boxes, legs shaking slightly. She made her way over to the desk, digging through one of the drawers before pulling out a condom. He took it, quickly opening it and rolling it over his cock. And then she turned, resting her elbows on the boxes and presenting her ass to him. His brain short circuited at the sight and he wasted no time reaching forward to curve his hands over it. Her ass was just as perfect as the rest of her of course, her skin soft.

Apparently he wasn't moving fast enough though because Lydia reached behind her, gripping his cock and leading him forward until the head of him bumped up against her folds. He bit back a groan as he slid inside. Lydia was tight and hot and _damn_ he wanted this all the time. Wanted the flirtatious banter, the coffee dates, the way she'd kissed him like it was as necessary as air.

He pulled out a little and then pushed back in, this time unable to hold back his groan. He set a steady pace, sweat dripping down his brow as he hunched over Lydia who had thrown her head back so that it was resting on his shoulder, one of his hands on her hip while the other palmed at her breast. And then he rolled his hips and he must have hit just the right spot because she yelled out his name, arms shaking. He repeated the motion once, twice more before her orgasm washed over her, her inner muscles clenching around his cock.

He picked up the pace a bit, his thrusts fast and hard, and it only took a few second before he was coming too, his release punching out of him as he gripped Lydia tighter, whispering her name over and over.

It took them a moment to come back down and Jordan almost wished they could stay like that, sated and together. They couldn't of course, so he slipped out, disposing of the condom in the trash by the desk. Lydia was leaning against the boxes, her skin flushed and her hair in tangles down her chest.

"So," she said, "want to go for coffee again tomorrow?"


End file.
